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6 CARVING UP THE CONGO Greenpeace has also found that the negotiation process itself often reinforces the marginalisation of pygmy huntergatherer communities who are highly dependent on forest resources. s In ITB’s operations near Lake Tumba, a Twa pygmy community was initially excluded from negotiations over access to forest. The company then made the community a take-it-or-leave-it offer to which the local chief felt he had no option but to agree. In addition, Greenpeace has identified a number of examples of the DRC’s authorities using violence to repress public dissent where logging companies have failed to fulfil their commitments to local communities. s Protests by local people against CFBC, Safbois, Sodefor and many other company operations have been met with intimidation and arbitrary arrests by local authorities. Conflicts between villagers and logging companies are almost universal, with local authorities often taking the side of the companies. Conclusion: the World Bank maintains the illusion that logging companies will be largely beneficial to local communities through their tax revenue and so-called social responsibility contracts. HAS IT ACHIEVED RAINFOREST PROTECTION FOR PEOPLE, WILDLIFE AND THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT? Greenpeace research shows that of the 156 titles up for legal review, nearly half are in intact forest landscapes – the very landscapes that are most critical for carbon storage for the sake of the global climate, and of great significance for the DRC’s rich biodiversity. While in some cases beyond the remit of the legal review, many operations are in areas that have already been identified as priority conservation landscapes. Logging is going ahead in these areas prior to any land use planning to determine how best to conserve and manage these critical habitats. s Companies such as Trans-M and the Danzer group (Siforco) have contracts for areas inside Maringa-Lopori-Wamba landscape, now a critical stronghold for some of the last viable populations of wild bonobos in the DRC. Bonobo populations have been decimated by the illegal trade in bushmeat, and from being hunted as a source of food during the recent wars. s Trans-M, whose contracts were signed after the 2002 moratorium, and Safbois, a company in conflict with local communities over its operations, are logging in an uncontrolled manner large volumes of afrormosia – a protected tree species listed under Appendix II of CITES, meaning that its international trade is supposed to be regulated. Greenpeace’s research exposes just what a threat the selective logging practised across Central Africa is to biodiversity and the global environment. Selective logging requires an extensive road network. The impact of logging infrastructure on the climate is significant but does not figure in global calculations. Given that cross Central Africa, 50 million hectares of rainforest are controlled by logging companies – an area the size of Spain – the total impact is likely to be significant. Forty million hectares are located in areas of intact forests. s Using satellite images, Google Earth and published scientific studies, Greenpeace has calculated the predicted CO 2 emissions from a 170,000 hectare area of forest formerly logged by the Danzer group (Siforco). Our calculations show that logging roads and other infrastructure (currently not part of international IPCC calculations on ‘Land Use Change and Forestry Emissions’) produce a level of emissions 2.5 times greater than that from the extraction of the commercial timber itself (currently the only aspect of industrial logging operations included in estimates of the DRC’s emissions). Conclusion: There is still an opportunity to protect large areas of intact rainforest, but action must be taken swiftly. A moratorium on any new logging title allocation needs to be enforced until there is comprehensive national land use planning that prioritises the needs of the DRC’s people and the local, regional and global environment.
CARVING UP THE CONGO 7 ©Greenpeace/Reynaers WHAT FUTURE FOR THE DRC’S RAINFORESTS? The legal review is a crunch point for the World Bank, the DRC Government and the country’s rainforests. The future of more than 20 million hectares of forest hangs in the balance. Will the World Bank ensure that the legal review will not effectively launder illegal titles and leave corruption unchallenged? Beyond the legal review, will the World Bank act in the interests of forest dwelling communities and the global environment by adhering to the principles it promotes: poverty alleviation, good governance and environmental protection? The international donor community and the DRC Government must take steps to crack down on corruption and stop the plunder: s Prevent the expansion of industrial logging They must also help start the solution: s Initiate land use planning and overhaul of governance s Develop viable policies and funding
Page 1 and 2: CARVING UP THE CONGO
Page 3 and 4: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: WHAT A CARVE UP
Page 7 and 8: CARVING UP THE CONGO 1 WHAT A CARVE
Page 9 and 10: CARVING UP THE CONGO 3 ©Greenpeace
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Page 15 and 16: Intact forest in Central Africa not
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Page 41 and 42: CARVING UP THE CONGO 35 three years
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Page 45 and 46: CARVING UP THE CONGO 39 In June 200
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THE LAW WORKS HAND-IN-HAND WITH SIC
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©Greenpeace/Davison
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 61 NO LAND USE
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63 CARVING UP THE CONGO Given the d
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 65 Logging tit
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 67 operation.
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 69 total emiss
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THE COST TO THE CLIMATE OF LOGGING
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30km CARVING UP THE CONGO 73
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 75 It is time
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 77 New governm
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 79 START THE S
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 83 Date, if si
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 85 Date, if si
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 87 www.rdcconv
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 89 References
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CARVING UP THE CONGO 91 du mechanis
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‘Nature is sick. Species are dyin
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Untitled - Greenpeace

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